Church Within Our Community

The ‘Church' is the people that gather together in the name of God to fellowship and acknowledge their uniqueness; this comes with the privileges and benefits of the heritage of the Kingdom of God here on Earth.

The Bible says that where two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus - He is in their midst.

The scriptures brings to our understanding that Jesus Christ is the architect of His Church and that metaphorically and literally we are the tools that he uses in the construction according to the requirements of the Master Builder and Architect - God.

In alluding to the fact that the church is not bricks and mortar but people, it follows that it is people who form the temple of God, which is the Church.

The building therefore required to be built is not the tangible but the intangible which is the virtue, character and spirituality that shapes the identity of a person. Shapes a person to what, you might ask. The answer according to the bible is the image of Christ who is the express image of the Master Builder / Architect - God. Hence, the building of the Temple of God requires tools which are appropriate to the building of a people whose nature and image is of God who cannot be seen but can be professed and expressed in the lifestyle of the people that live in the Community.

The environment where this building process takes place is known as the Community; hence we have the community of believers, the Religious Community, Faith Communities and many more identifications of such environments for nurturing faith.

What is the Community?

The definition of a community is a group of people living in the same locality or under the same local government, a social group of class having certain common characteristics, a biblical definition would be the family of God's children.

Within the Community there are also structural buildings that become the focal point of gatherings and meetings, where God is expressed and professed in worship and true liturgical sequences. Usually such gatherings are summoned by the toll of a bell at certain specific times of the day.

Denominations / Churchmanship Traditions

Like any large family or community there are segments or sub-groups that seek to gravitate towards one another through similar interests and expressions. Such differences can be described as denominations, given name tags such as Orthodox, Pentecostal, Catholic, Free House, Anglican and Protestant Churches. Even within individual denominations such as the Anglican Church there are further divisions characterised by the term “Churchmanship Traditions” where the three broad divisions of the Anglican Church are the High Church, usually of the Anglo-Catholic tradition, the middle of the road Liberals and the Evangelicals - the low churchmanship tradition.

These powerful names emanate schisms and nepotisms, only serving to cause more harm than good. If there is any form of the practice of segregation it is the separation one from the other into these classified groups which all seek to do the same thing i.e. the profession and expression of their worship to the one true God but through varied approaches and methodology. One wonders what would happen if the various faith groups were to come together in solidarity, in fellowship and worship – what a potent and dynamic atmosphere would be generated both spiritually and physically.

This is not to say that this practice of coming together has not happened nor can happen for as a matter of fact attempts at it take place with a tag called Ecumenism. That is the fraternal engagement to relate yet without losing the identity of ones Church Denomination or Churchmanship tradition to the other.

Having practiced this kind of coming together myself, I can say in the times that I have engaged in Ecumenism there has been a feeling of elation and a sense of liberty to belong to one another, so it does not hurt but heals – this is my opinion.

Now, of the two practices i.e. coming together in fraternity and segregated singular denominator fellowship, which of them would be of God? – Do not answer now but make a note of this fact also that……schism lacks compassion and breeds sympathy, it is obnoxious and makes the call to the Gospel and goodness of the Church to be one of glorified obnoxiousness. Rather than esteeming each other above oneself in Love schism creates a wedge between the otherwise solid foundations of the fallen race that separates and fragments the image of God in us, (which fruits are evidenced in envy, jealousy, difference and pharisaic tendencies). So where does this come into the life in the Community? It is the cause of difference which addresses the other which has profound impact on the issue of trust, respect, dependency, unity, peace and love within the Community. No wonder Jesus prayed in His final prayer of commitment of the Disciples to His Father that they (His followers) might be one. It was praying the mind and will of God for the Church within the Community.

(2 Corinthians, 5, 18).
(John 17, 1-11 , Jesus prays to the Father that we shall all be one).

Canon George Ansah